NEWSWATCH: “Why Russians are so captivated by Trump. Negative feelings toward the US are higher than at any time since scientific polling began in #Russia in the mid-1980s. But many see the prospect for a turnaround.” – Christian Science Monitor/Fred Weir

“… Russians have always been fascinated with the United States … the only country in the world that they will compare themselves with. Their attitudes … have swung over the decades between uncritical love and bitter hatred. … negative feelings are higher than at any time since scientific polling began in Russia in the mid-1980s, but … hopes aroused by Trump’s election rhetoric about better relations with Russia could turn that around. A post-election poll conducted by the state-funded VTsIOM found that almost 70 percent were paying attention to coverage of the campaign toward the end, and they were 11 times more likely to favor Trump than … Clinton. … 45 percent said they would have voted for Trump … just 4 percent named Clinton. Almost 30 percent said they expect Trump to become ‘one of the best presidents in US history,’ and nearly half said they hope US-Russian relations will improve.”